Portable internal combustion engines are used in a wide variety of applications, such as lawn mowers, snow blowers, chain saws, electrical generators, power-washers, etc. Although some such devices can be equipped with an internal combustion engine that can be electro-mechanically started, providing such a power start system substantially increases the weight of the resultant device thereby detracting from the portability of the device. Such electric starting systems can also dramatically increase the costs associated with manufacturing and maintaining the operability of such a device. Accordingly, many light-weight or portable engine powered devices are commonly provided as a manual start engine. Although powered starting systems simplify the starting operation of such devices, the components and systems necessary to facilitate the powered starting of the engine often renders such devices non-portable in as much as more than a single user and/or supplemental equipment is often required to move such devices.
Portable engine driven devices are commonly provided in a number of sizes to satisfy a user's expected usage of the device without unnecessarily increasing the weight and costs associated with the same. Such devices include an internal combustion engine that is operatively connected to a working device, such as an electrical generator, a water pump, etc., configured to provide the desired output associated with operation of the engine. The engine of such devices is commonly manually started via user interaction and/or operation of a recoil. Without the electro-mechanical starting systems, the recoil provides the initial rotation of the crank thereby effectuating the initial compression cycle associated with operation of the engine. Efficient starting of such manually started engines commonly requires some degree of experience or familiarity with engine operation and/or the device configuration so as to avoid unnecessary efforts in starting the engine.
Manually started engines commonly include an ON/OFF switch or key switch associated with communicating an electrical signal to a spark plug during operation of the recoil as well as operation of the engine after the engine has started. Such engine systems commonly provide a fault or ground associated with turning the engine OFF. The fault results in suspension of the generation of the spark signal. The internal combustion engine cannot be started during operation of the recoil when the fault condition exists. Accordingly, one aspect of starting a manually starting engine is to attend to the electrical system of the engine to ensure a spark signal will be generated during operation of the recoil.
Another consideration to ensure efficient or expeditious starting of the engine is the communication of a desired charge of a combustion fuel to the combustion chamber. Many manually started engines include one or more of a choke or choke control, a primer or primer control, and/or an engine throttle control. Manipulation of any of these fuel or combustion charge flow controls alters the amount of fuel and/or air provided to the combustion chamber and/or the throttle assembly and affect starting and/or operation of the underlying engine. Failure to properly attend to the fuel, throttle, and/or primer controls can prolong the efforts associated with starting the engine.
Further complicating engine starting performance, the user must consider the recent condition of the engine in addition to the location and manipulation of the ignition and fuel controls discussed above. For instance, when attempting to start a “cold” engine or engine that has not be operated for some duration, it is commonly necessary to both prime the engine and choke the throttle. Once the engine turns over under its own power, the user must commonly manipulate one or more of the choke, the throttle, and/or the primer to avoid unnecessary pulls of the recoil. Failure to properly attend to one or more of the choke, throttle, and/or primer in a manner and/or sequence specific to the operating characteristics associated with the engine can result in “flooding” of the engine or a condition wherein too much fuel is present in the combustion chamber to effectuate starting of the engine. Although a flooded engine can commonly be started with subsequent starting efforts—such as manipulation of the fuel and throttle controls and pulling of the recoil, recovering from a flooded engine condition only frustrates a user's ability to expeditiously start the affected engine.
For those conditions where an engine has been operated for a sufficient duration so as to “warm-up” or even reach a normal operating temperature, subsequent starting sequences are not commonly the same as the cold engine starting sequence. That is, a warm engine will commonly start with no or only minimal manipulation of any of the primer system, choke system, and/or throttle systems from a normal operating orientation. The various nuances associated with engine starting sequences, the various locations associated with the spark electronic signal, priming, choke, and/or throttle controls, and the desired sequencing associated with the manipulation of such controls can frustrate the ability of even experienced user's to efficiently start a manually started engine associated with many small portable engine powered devices.
Therefore, there is a need for a manually started internal combustion engine control system that associates more than one of the spark control, fuel primer control, choke control, and the throttle control to effectuate efficient starting of the underlying internal combustion engine.